Baseboard gas heater



Feb. 15, 1966 R. R. HoDGEs BASEBOARD GAS HEATER 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 30, 1965 Feb. 15, 1966 R. R. HODGES 3 49 BASEBOARD GAS HEATER Filed Sept. 30, 1983 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 M na/ra?: FAC Pf/ P, Hafid/55.

g/ fm 7% 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 n M M /NlnJ D M Feb. 15, 1966 R. R. HODGES BASEBOARD GAS HEATER Filed Sept. 30, 1963 United States Patent 3,234,930 BASEBOARD GAS HEATER Ralph R. Hodges, Belleville, lll., assiguor to Empire Stove Company, Belleville, lll., a corporation of lllinois Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,474 7 Claims. (Cl. 126-90) The present invention relates to baseboard heaters and specifically pertains to gas-fired sealed baseboard heaters.

It has long been desired in the gas burning heater industry to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater, but heretoore such heaters have not been commercially available, primarily due to the difiiculty of maintaining the required combustion within the heater. In a baseboard heater, the combustion *Chamber is extremely long relative to its height; whereas in a conventional wall heater the combustion Chamber is relatively narrow as compared to its height. Normal gas burners have not been found satisfactory in a baseboard heater, and it has been difficult to maintain the burner ignited in gas-tired baseboard heaters. This defect has limited their Commercial availability and usefulness.

Another problem connected with the combustion is the desirability that present-day heaters be of the sealed type wherein the combustion is maintained using only outside air and no room air is burned. The eliminates the possibility that products of combustion can Contaminate the room air. Normally, however, outside air is available only by through the wall venting so that a single source of outside air must supply a long combustion Chamber for eflicient heating operation. This complicates the aforementioned combustion problem.

Therefore, one of the present objects of the present invention is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater which is efiicient and reliable in operation and which is simple and easy to construct and install.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater having a sealed combustion system wherein Only outside air is burned, and room air is sealed from Contamination with the products of combustion.

Another object is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater which may use room air for combustion, and which is eflficient and reliable in operation.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater having a combustion Chamber which is relatively long compared to its height and Which is of irregular internal configuration to stimulate combustion.

Still another Object is to provide a combustion Chamber having a centrally located Outlet for venting the products of combustion through a room wall, and which incorporates a baffle mounted partially in front of the Outlet to reduce direct discharge flow of the products of combustion from the burner, and thereby improve heating efiiciency.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater having a long burner positioned in the bottom of an irregularly shaped, long, low combustion Chamber with Secondary air for combustion being provided by a plurality of spaced ducts leading to the burner Chamber along the length of the burner.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater having concentric inlet and Outlet ducts with the fresh air for combustion being passed from the inlet duct down behind the combustion Chamber 'ice to insulate the same from the adjacent room wall with the air being admitted to the combustion Chamber in a plurality of locations along the length of the burner.

Another object is to provide a baseboard heater having a removable front Wall with a sealed combustion Chamber having a removable door to provide access to the burner area.

Another principal object of the present invention is to provide a gas-fired baseboard heater having a combustion Chamber which is long relative to its height and having a burner substantially the full inside length of the combustion Chamber and having an outer room air heating chamber surrounding the combustion Chamber for the purpose of distributing the total heat over a wide area and avoiding concentrated hot spots.

Another object is to provide, in a gas-fired baseboard heater, a long burner with continuous ports running the full length of the top and slightly down each end with embossed spacer connections located sufficiently below the burner top surface to allow a continuous flame along the entire burner length and having a slot cross section and mixer tube so designed and proportioned so that the heater will operate efliciently and ignite quickly and quietly when used with any commercially available gas without customary primary air adjustrnent means.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a baseboard heater having a foil-lined insulation positioned behind the rear wall of the combustion Chamber, between the combustion Chamber and the room wall, whereby heat from the combustion Chamber is reflected from the foil surface toward the room to be heated.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The present invention comprises a gas-fired baseboard heater having an irregularly shaped combustion Chamber with a long burner positioned in the bottom thereof and with spaced combustion air inlet passages to convey outside air to the burner area.

In the drawings wherein like numbers refer to like parts wherever they occur,

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 2,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 5,

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4,

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view of the Cap over the ends of the air intake and products of combustion vents,

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view of the burner assembly, and

FIGS. 8-10 show a modification of the present invention Which uses room air for combustion and the products of combustion are vented through the roof.

The present invention comprises a gas-tired baseboard heater 10 which is positioned on the floor 11 of a room or enclosed space adjacent to an outside room Wall 12. The heater 10 co'mprises a combustion Chamber '13 mounted in a louvered casing 14 which defines a room air heating Chamber 15. The combustion Chamber 13 is sealed from contact with room air and is provided with an Outlet duct 16 through which the products of combustion are exhausted to the atmosphere through the room Wall 12. An inlet duct 17 is concentric With the Outlet duct 16 and carries fresh air for combustion through the room wall 12 to a fresh air passage 18 positioned at the rear of the heater 10, and which, in turn, conveys the air to the bottom of the combustion chamber 13.

The heater casing 14 comprises a top wall 19 provided with louvers 20, a front wall 21 provided with louvers 22, a bottom wall 23 positioned adjacent to the floor 11, and a rear wall 24 positioned adjacent to the room wall 12. Screws 25 fasten the baseboard heater to the room wall 12. The front wall 21 is removably fastened to the top wall 19 and to the bottom wall 23 by brackets 26 to provide access to the combustion chamber 13 and to the pilot 27, gas valves 28, and thermostat 29.

The combustion chamber 13 is mounted within the air heating chamber and is sealed throughout, so that the products of combustion do not contaminate the room air. The room air passes through the front wall louvers 22 over and around the combustion chamber 13 (where it is heated) and is emitted through the top wall louvers and at the top of the front wall 21. This flow is indicated by the arrows "A in FIG. 4. A battle 19a is positioned at the top edge of the air heating chamber to deflect heated air toward the discharge openings.

The combustion chamber 13 is provided with a burner 30 positioned in the lowermost portion thereof by means of a burner bracket 31 positioned adjacent to one end of the Chamber 13 and a burner support 32 positioned adjacent to the other end. The combustion chamber 13 is of unique shape and design to support combustion throughout the length of the burner 30. The combustion chamber 13 comprises a lowermost burner area 33, an intermediate portion 34 and an upper portion 35. The intermediate portion 34 tapers from its juncture with the top of the burner area 33 toward its top, and decreases in height from its ends toward the center. These configurations are seen iclearly in FIGS. 2 and 3. The intermediate portion 34 is separated from the upper portion 35 by a reduced area 36 which is defined by a series of engaged embossed portions 37 which may be spot-welded together. The engaged sections 37 define a series of spaced slots 38 through which the products of combustion must pass :in going from the intermediate section 34 to the upper section 35 of the combustion chamber 13. The upper section 35 is of rectangular cross section and has a top wall 39, opposed side walls 40 and 41 and a bottom wall 42 which tapers from the center upwardly toward the ends, and is provided with a center opening 43 communicating with the Outlet duct 16.

A baflie 44 is positioned on the bottom wall 42 adjacent to the center and extends upwardly and outwardly from both sides of the center toward the ends of the combustion chamber 13. The baffle 44 comprises a support section 45 which rests on the bottom wall 42 of the combustion chamber 13 adjacent to the center opening 43, an upwardly extending right angular member 46, a baffle member 47 which is spaced above and covers the slots 38 in the center of the Chamber 13, and an upwardly and outwardly extending tail 48 which is inclined toward the front wall 40 of the chamber 13. The bafiie 44 and the irregular shane of the combustion chamber 13 regulate and stimulate the combustion of the gaseous fuel and the outside air so that the entire burner 30 remains lighted along its length. The Outlet duct 16 for the products of combustion is connected to the upper chamber 35 at the center opening 43 thereof and the inclined portion 48 of the bafile 44 covers approximately the bottom half of the opening 43 and the discharge duct 16 to assist in controlling the rate of discharge of the products of combustion.

A removable door 49 s secured to the front of the combustion chamber 13 along the lowermost burner portion 33. The door 49 is removable to provide access to the burner 30, and is held in position by a series of studs 50 fastened along a flange on the top of the burner chamber opening 51 and a series of self-tapping metal screws 52 positioned through the bottom of door 49 and a bottom flange on the burner chamber opening 51. Both the top and bottom edges of the door 49 and the burner chamber opening 51 are defined by substantially right angular fianges to assist seal means 53 interposed therebetween in sealing the door opening 51 and preventing leakage of products of combustion from the combustion chamber 13.

Typical dimensons of the combustion chamber 13 are: height about 10 inches, length over 40 inches, and width about 2 inches.

The burner 30 comprises a substantially circular body 54 over of its cross sectional area with upright side Walls 55 and 56 along one edge. The extensions of the side walls 55 and 56 extend above the top of the burner body 54 with a separate member 57 being positioned therebetween. Inwardly projecting embossed spots 58 space the side walls 55 and 56 from the separator 57 and define a plurality of longitudinally and laterally spaced sets of slots 59 along the length of the burner 30. Typical dimensons of a burner 30 are: 40-inch length, -inch inside diameter of the base 54, approximately A -inch height of extensions 55 and 56 and 0.04-nch-wide slots 59. The uppermost part of embossed spots 58 s inch below the top surface of side walls 55 and 56 along the entire length of the burner. This provides continuous ports from one end to the other and including the ends.

The pilot 27 is connected to the burner 30 in a con ventional manner, and a temperature control and on-off switch 60 is connected to the thermostat 29 which Controls the gas supply to an orifice 61. A burner extension 62 is spaced at 63 from the orifice 61 so that primary air for combustion is mixed with the gaseous fuel from the orifice 61. The flow of the products of combustion is indicated by the arrows C in FIGS. 4-6.

Using the foregoing described construction, no adjust- -ment of the space 63 between the end of the burner extension 62 and the fuel orifice 61 is necessary in changing 'from natural gas to propane or butene mixtures. Normally, some provision for varying the fuel-primary air mixture is necessary.

The secondary air for combustion is received through the inlet duct 17 and passes through the air passage 18 down behind the air heating chamber 15. The flow of intake air is indicated by the arrows B" in FIGS. 4 and 6. The air passage 18 is defined by the outer casing rear wall 24, a top wall 64 and an intermediate wall 65 spaced from the rear wall 24 and within the heater 13. The air passage 18 extends substantially along the entire back wall of the heater 10 and along about one-half the bottom of the heater 10 toward the front. This placement insulates the rear wall of the heater from the combustion chamber and provides increased draft for combustion. The wall 65 is formed outwardly at spaced portions 66 along its length to provide a support for the combustion chamber 13. End closures 67 define the ends of the air passage 18 and seal the passage 18 from the room a1r.

The combustion chamber 13 is in communication with the air passage 18 at a plurality of locations along the length of the burner 30. Specifically, opening 68 communicates primary air for combustion to the opening 63 between the burner extension 62 and the orifice 61. Openings 69 are positioned at the ends and the center of the combustion chamber 13 and admit Secondary air for combustion to the bottom of the burner chamber 33. The spaced openings 69 are necessary to insure that combustion is supported throughout the length of the burner 30. If suflicient air is not admitted to all of the burner area, the burner 30 tends to draw the products of combustion back into the burner area 33 and snutf out the flame. Closure plates 70 connect the outwardly formed combustion chamber supports 66 with inwardly formed connecting fianges 71 to completely seal the air passage 18 from the room air heating chamber 15.

A fiberglass insulating pad 72 is positioned on the inner side of the intermediate air passage Wall 65 and Spaces the combustion Chamber 13 from the air passage 18. Openings corresponding to the openings 68 and 69 allow the air for combustion to be passed through the insulation 72 to the combustion Chamber 13 at the preselected locations. The insulation 72 is backed with a thin reflelcting foil 73 which reflects the heat from the combustion Chamber 13 back toward the room and the front panel 21 of the *heater lt).

The inlet and Outlet ducts include a member 74 ada-pted to be fastened to the outside Wall 12 and to the inlet duct 17. An end cap '75 is positioned on the end of the inlet duct 17 and separates the inlet duct 17 from the Outlet duct 16. The space between the cap 75 and the member 74 is perforated 76 to permit air for combustion to be passed to the inlet duct 17. An outwardly dished outer cap member 77 is positioned over the end of *the Outlet duct 16 and is supported on the inlet duct cap by three spaced extension members 78 which are connected by fastening means 79 to the inlet duct cap 75. An intermediate cap 80 is open at its :center 81 and is positioned between the outer cap 77 and the inlet duct cap 75 and also is supported by the extension members 78.

FIGS. 8-10 show a modification of the present invention which utilizes room air for combustion and discharges products of combustion through the roof. The structure shown in FIGS. 8-10 conforms substantially to the structures hereinbefore described, except that the discharge duct 16 is provided With a right angular portion 1601 which passes upwardly through a partition Wall 190 to the roof (not shown) where it is vented to the atmosphere. The inlet duct 17 terminates at the partition wall 100 and communicates through the partition Wall with a louvered vent 101 which passes room air to the combustion Chamber 13 for supporting combustion. A down draft duct 102 and baffle 103 product the burner flame from being snutfed out hy down drafts through the pipe la. This arrangement is conventional in room heating equipment.

This invention is intended to cover all changes and modifications of the exarnple of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A gas-tired baseboard heater comprising an irregularly shaped combustion Chamber, including a front panel and a rear panel joined at their top edges and having means for enclosing the side and bottom edges, said panels defining a lower burner containing portion, an intermediate portion joined to the top of the burner portion, said intermediate section being of substantially triangular cross section and being of decreasing height and cross sectional area from its ends toward its center, an upper section of substantially rectangular cross section and being of gradually decreased cross sectional area from its center toward its ends, and a reduced area joining the intermediate portion to the top portion, said reduced area including a series of spaced engaged sections embossed from the rfront and rear panels and longitudinally separated by a plurality of slots communicating the intermediate portion With the top portion; a Chamber for heating room air surrounding said combustion Chamber, air intake means, conduit means communicating the air intake means with the combustion chamber at a plurality of spaced locations along the length of the combustion Chamber, a burner positioned in the lower portion of the combustion Chamber, and a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the combustion Chamber.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein the ratio of the combustion Chamber length to height is approximately 4 to 1 and wherein the combustion :Chamber is sealed from contact with room air.

3. A gas-fired baseboard heater comprising an irregularly shaped combustion Chamber, including a front panel and a rear panel joined at their top edges and having means for enclosing the side and bottom edges, said panels defining a lower burner containing portion, an intermediate portion joined to the top of the burner portion, an upper section, and a reduJced area joining the intermediate portion to the top portion, said reduced area including a series of spaced engaged sections formed from the front and rear panels 'and longitudinally separated by slots communicating the intermediate portion with the top portion, a Chamber for heating room air surrounding said combustion Chamber, air intake means, conduit means communicating the air intake means with the combustion Chamber at a plurality of spaced locations along the length of the combustion Chamber, a burner positioned in the lower portion of the combustion chamber, a :burner extension connected to one end of said burner and extending out of the combustion Chamber, a fuel orifice adjacent to the end of the burner extension, a box around the burner extension and the fuel orifice, separate inlet means for primary air for combustion in the box, and a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the combustion Chamber.

4. The structure of claim 3 including a passage at the rear of the heater communicating with a manifold at the bottom of the heater and inlet means at the ends and center of the burner portion of the combustion chamber communicating With the manifold, said primary air inlet means also being in communication with the manifold.

5. The structure of claim 3 wherein the ratio of the combustion chamber length t-o its height .is approximately 4 to 1, and wherein the combustion Chamber is sealed from contact with room air.

6. A gas-fired baseboard heater comprising an irregularly shaped combustion Chamber sealed from contact with room air and having a length to height ratio of approximately 4 to *1, including a front panel and a rear panel joined at their top edges and having means for enclosing the side and bottom edges, said panels defining a lower burner containing portion, an intermediate portion joined to the top of the burner portion, said intermediate section being of substantially triangular cross section and being of decreasing height and cross sectional area from its ends toward its center, an upper section of substantially rectangular cross section and being of gradually decreased cross sectional area from its center toward its ends and a reduced area joining the intermediate portion to the top portion, said reduced area including a series of spaced engaged sections formed from the front and rear panels and longitudinally separated by slots communicating the intermediate portion with the top portion, a Chamber for heating room air surrounding said combustion Chamber, air intake means, passage means at the rear of the heater communicating with a manifold at the bottom of the heater, and inlet means at the ends and center of the lburner portion of the combustion Chamber communicating With the manifold, a burner positioned in the lower portion of the combustion Chamber, a burner extension connected to one end of said burner and extending out of the combustion Chamber, a fuel orifice adjacent to the end of the burner extension, a box around the burner extension and the fuel orifice, separate inlet means for primary air for combustion in the box and in communication With the manifold, and a discharge duct for the products of combustion communicating with the combustion Chamber.

7. The structure of claim 6 including a baffle means positioned at the center of the top portion above the reduced area slots in the center of the combustion chamber *and positioned in front of the lower portion of the discharge duct opening to the combustion Chamber.

(References On following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Clarke 126-116 Reece 158-99 Mueller 158-99 Furlong 126-90 Norman et al 126 90 Taylor 158-116 2,964,034 12/1960 Nordholt et al. .L 126-85 3,056,397 10/1962 Little 126-85 3,1'11,122 11/1963 Ware et al. 125-85 FOREIGN PATENTS 210,117 7/1960 Austria.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK KETTERER, Examiner. 

1. A GAS-FIRED BASEBOARD HEATER COMPRISING AN IRREGULARLY SHAPED COMBUSTION CHAMBER, INCLUDING A FRONT PANEL AND A REAR PANEL JOINED AT THEIR TOP EDGES AND HAVING MEANS FOR ENCLOSING THE SIDE AND BOTTOM EDGES, SAID PANELS DEFINING A LOWER BURNER CONTAINING PORTION, AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION JOINED TO THE TOP OF THE BURNER PORTION, SAID INTERMEDIATE SECTION BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY TRIANGULAR CROSS SECTION AND BEING DECREASING HEIGHT AND CROSS SECTIONAL AREA FROM ITS ENDS TOWARD ITS CENTER, AN UPPER SECTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR CROSS SECTION AND BEING OF GRADUALLY DECREASED CROSS SECTIONAL AREA FROM ITS CENTER TOWARD ITS ENDS, AND A REDUCED AREA JOINING THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION TO THE TOP PORTION, SAID REDUCED AREA INCLUDING A SERIES OF SPACED ENGAGED SECTIONS EMBOSSED FROM THE FRONT AND REAR PANELS AND LONGITUDINALLY SEPARATED BY A PLURALITY OF SLOTS COMMUNICATING THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION WITH THE TOP PORTION; A CHAMBER FOR HEATING ROOM AIR SURROUNDING SAID COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AIR INTAKE MEANS, CONDUIT MEANS COMMUNICATING THE AIR INTAKE MEANS WITH THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER AT A PLURALITY OF SPACED LOCATIONS ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, A BURNER POSITIONED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, AND A DISCHARGE DUCT FOR THE PRODUCTS OF COMBUSTION COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. 